A host of GPs have been recognised in the New Year’s honours list for their achievements in fields as diverse as child safeguarding, commissioning, medical education, and patient safety assessment.
This includes RCGP vice chair and director of medical education at the University of Surrey Professor Kamila Hawthorne, who receives an OBE ‘for services to general practice’.
She is joined in the honours list by by CQC chief executive David Behan, who is knighted for services to health and care.
GPs who received the Order of the British Empire (OBE), include:
- Dr Peter Dickson, a GP and senior policy adviser at the National Clinical Assessment Service, which investigates patient safety complaints against doctors;
- NHS Dudley CCG chair Dr Michael Hegarty, for services to primary care;
- Professor Gene Feder, a GP and professor of primary care at Bristol University, for services to healthcare and vistims of domestic abuse;
- North Leeds safeguarding lead and GP, Dr Siow Yen Andersen, for services to safeguarding children and prevention of domestic violence;
- Professor Keri Thomas, who began work as a GP in Yorkshire before founding the ‘Gold Standard Framework’ for end of life care after implementing it with a handful of local practices.
Meanwhile, Sir David is awarded a Knights Bachelor, and is praised for his role in revamping the CQC inspection regime: ‘He has led the development of a more in-depth and specialised model of inspection and embedded an open and transparent culture that learns from past failures. The new-style inspections are seen as credible and regarded by providers as adding value,’ the official citation concludes.
Health secretary Jeremy Hunt was among those to congratulate Sir David, saying on Twitter:
Congratulations to Sir David Behan @CareQualityComm on his knighthood. Very well deserved #NewYearsHonours
— Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) December 31, 2016
It comes as last year Mr Hunt said he was keen to boost GP and NHS morale by handing out more gongs in the honours list.
Professor Hawthorne was also recognised in last year’s Pulse Power 50 for raising the profile of general practice on the undergraduate curriculum.
